Labour Union's Leaked Memo Surfaces, Could Increase Gap in Talks -NHL Lockout Update
For many fans and players, the recently leaked memo was shocking in certain ways as it seems like that executive director of the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA), Donald Fehr, has been conveying the wrong message to union members all along.
According to the New York Times, it is believed that a memo was sent to all 725 members of the labour union, in which it states that there was a “significant gap” between the league and Players’ Association. Several important issues still need to be addressed
by the two stakeholders and this memo appears to be something that will complicate issues even further.
“First of all, understand that their proposal is made in front of players in the room who hear it, in front of staff who hear it, in front of former players who hear it,” Fehr said Friday, almost three hours after the bargaining session at the offices of
the law firm Proskauer Rose on Eighth Avenue had ended, according to the New York Times.
Both stakeholders have been meeting continuously, on the radar and sometimes off of it, but fans are still waiting for there to be some significant progression in talks instead of just impractical decisions to continue meetings.
“I don’t want to either raise or lower expectations,” Commissioner Gary Bettman said after the talks had ended for the day. “I won’t be happy until we get to the end result.”
Monday is set to be a busy day as the Hockey Hall of Fame ceremony is to be held that day, but NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman is willing to put that on the line and attend another meeting with the labour union, given the condition that they are confident
of getting something done.
Fans have now lost a major chunk of the season besides the entire preseason and most recently, the highly anticipated Winter Classic between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings. There is still no end in sight, but both sides continuously meet day
in and out.
Updates should be expected in the next 24-48 hours if another meeting takes place within that timeframe.
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